Luminescent Hunter Safety Apparel

ABSTRACT

A method of making hunter safety apparel in highly visible luminescent colours in spectrums which are visible to the human eye, but are not visible to ungulates. The hunter safety apparel is coated wholly or partially with a photo luminescent ink over the regular colour pattern of the apparel. The photo luminescent ink is a high visibility colour which is visible to the human eye in regular light conditions, and in low or zero light. The photo luminescent ink is visible in light spectrums which are detectable by the human eye and not visible in light spectrums detectable by ungulates. Luminescent ink or dye is applied in patterns which are not natural in shape, but clearly artificial in colour or placement so that to the human eye, it is obviously an artificial and not natural appearing object.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to safety apparel for hunters which is visible only to humans and not to ungulates.

2. Description of Prior Art

Photo luminescent inks and dyes have been used in fabrics and application to fabrics. Such photo luminescent inks and dyes are typically broad spectrum photo luminescent inks and dyes and therefore visible not only to humans but ungulates and other animals who perceive light in different spectrums, as visibility in all spectrums is encouraged.

The use of highly visible photo luminescent inks and dyes in hunting safety gear which is visible in spectrums seen by the human eye and not visible in spectrums seen by ungulates is novel.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides for a method of making hunter apparel and safety gear which is visible to the human eye, but not visible to ungulates.

Hunters wear blaze orange or highly visible safety gear and apparel in order to provide visibility to other hunters and to comply with legal requirements for visibility. Such hunter safety gear is typically blaze orange in colour and may be in the form of vests or jackets. This creates visibility reducing the possibility of accidental discharge. One of the difficulties that arises with blaze orange hunter gear and apparel is when hunters enter or exit hunting areas in low visibility conditions which are of low or zero light conditions, typically at dawn, dusk or in the dark. In such situations, hunter safety gear and apparel is not always visible to other hunters, which can result in accidental discharge from one hunter striking another.

Hunter safety gear and apparel can be made visible through photo luminescent inks or dyes which are visible in low light or zero like conditions. However, such dyes typically are visible not only to the human eye, but typically to ungulates, such as deer, elk or moose. Because they are typically printed in artificial shapes which are not found in the natural environment, this could identify the gear and apparel not only to hunters, but to ungulates and prey, such as deer, elk or moose, as artificial objects to be avoided, making hunting more difficult.

The invention here by having the photo luminescent ink or dye which is only visible in certain light spectrums, whether in low light or zero light conditions, or in regular light conditions as well, which are visible to the human eye, but not to ungulates, such as deer, elk or moose, avoids the issue of the ungulates being startled, alerted or otherwise fleeing at the site of the artificial objects, while at the same time, maintaining high visibility for the hunter to other hunters, enhancing safety.

The photo luminescent inks or dyes, using the application typically contain phosphors, which chemicals absorb energy during the daylight from either natural light sources, such as the sun, or artificial light sources and emits the energy as visible light by giving off photons during low or zero light conditions.

The photo luminescent ink is applied to the hunter safety gear and apparel with artificial shapes and patterns, making it clear to other hunters that the person wearing the gear or apparel is human.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a typical jacket and cap used by a hunter. These are often printed in a camouflage pattern. FIG. 1 represents the pattern as visible to ungulates in the light spectrums visible to ungulates and therefore does not display the photo luminescent ink patterns, which are only visible to the human eye.

FIG. 2 is the same apparel as seen by the human eye. The solid coloured sections represent these areas where the photo luminescent ink has been applied and is visible to the human eye. Effectively, this represents the same apparel as in FIG. 1 as visible to the human eye showing the photo luminescent ink and showing a different pattern to the human eye than to the ungulate eye.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Photo luminescent inks or dyes typically contain phosphors, such as zinc sulphide (ZnS) or strontium aluminate (SrAl₂O₄). Photo luminescent inks or dyes can be obtained in various colours. Each colour of such inks emits light in wavelengths within a spectrum of wavelengths typical for that colour.

In the preferred embodiment, photo luminescent inks or dyes are a colour which emits light in a spectrum which is visible to humans and not to ungulates, such as deer.

This colour could be a blaze orange or another version of orange or red, typically visible in a spectrum above 600 nanometers to in excess of 670 nanometers. The spectrum of light is visible to humans as human light sensitivity typically runs to in excess of 790 nanometers.

These colours are colours which are not typically visible to ungulates whose sensitivity to spectrums typically does not typically exceed 620 nanometers and dramatically declines after 540 nanometers.

Phosphorus inks work on the basis of storage of energy from light sources such as the sun or artificial illumination. This stored energy is then released in the form of photons, allowing for the emission of light in the spectrum of the luminescent colour during low or zero like conditions. The type of ink or dye chosen will affect the amount of light released and the period of time over which the light is released.

The photo luminescent ink or dye is applied to hunter gear and apparel which is coloured in colours and patterns typical for such hunting gear and apparel. These are printed with a colour and pattern which matches the background of the environment, especially in those wavelengths which are highly visible to ungulates, such as greens and other colours in the 500 to 540 nanometer wavelengths.

The photo luminescent ink is applied in an artificial pattern typically comprised of straight lines, blocks, squares or other shapes which are not normal in a natural environment. In the preferred embodiment, the application of the photo luminescent ink is in the form of the complete colouring of a typical hunting cap which is not a natural shape and the front and back of the body of a hunting jacket, excluding the arms.

The photo luminescent ink pattern, which is visible only to humans, is visible as an artificial shape, clearly of human or artificial origin, therefore making the hunter highly visible to other hunters in regular, low and zero light conditions, while the photo luminescent effect is continuing to emit light in the applicable light spectrum. However, as the light spectrum is not visible to ungulates, the artificial patterns and colours are not visible to the ungulates, allowing the hunter to blend into the background and not lose the effect of the colours and patterns in his hunting apparel and gear. 

We claim:
 1. A hunting garment comprising: a garment substrate, including a fabric material dyed in a pattern and colours which blend into the natural environment; a layer of photo luminescent ink or dye overlaying all or part of the hunting garment in a pattern or shape which is clearly artificial, which is in a colour state which emits light in a spectrum of wavelengths which is above the wavelengths visible to a typical ungulate, but a wavelength still typically visible to humans.
 2. The hunting garment of claim 1 for the photo luminescent ink which is a colour which has a spectrum of wavelengths in excess of 605 nanometers and less than 670 nanometers.
 3. An object comprising: a material; a layer of photo luminescent ink or dye overlaying all or part of the object in a pattern or shape which is clearly artificial, which is in a colour state which emits light in a spectrum of wavelengths which is above a wavelength visible to atypical ungulate, but in a wavelength still visible to the human eye. 